Endocrine Abstracts

Germline AIP gene mutations have been linked with familial isolated pituitary adenomas (FIPA). Inactivating mutations of AIP have also been reported in seemingly sporadic pituitary adenomas, particularly of early onset, aggressive, and GH secreting.Aim: To assess the frequency and type of germline AIP gene mutations in patients with apparently sporadic PMAs.Material: The study included 31 consecutive patients with pituitary macroad...

Introduction: Giant prolactinomas are rare pituitary tumours. They can present with visual field defect, intracranial pressure symptoms and even temporal lobe epilepsy. Impairment of higher cognitive functions has been reported postoperatively after trans-cranial surgery and following radiotherapy. Reversible cognitive disturbances have been previously reported in patients with surgically decompressed arachnoid cysts but not after medical treatment of giant prolactinoma. We pr...

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 is an inherited syndrome that is caused by a germline mutation in the MEN1 gene encoding a tumour-suppressor protein, menin. Currently, no clear genotype–phenotype correlation has been established between clinical forms and MEN1 gene mutations. The aim of the study was clinical characteristics in relation to MEN1 gene mutation in families with MEN1 syndrome treated in our department. To date, genetic testing including complete sequencin...

Inflammation is a component of obesity-associated insulin resistance. Significant increases in inflammatory mediators such as IL6, TNFa and IL1b have been detected in the serum of diabetic patients. Herein, we investigated whether pre-diabetic patients also exhibited perturbations in circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines. To this end, we recruited 42 healthy non diabetics and subjected them to 75 g OGTT after an overnight fast. We profiled the cytokines that are present in th...

The immunosuppressive effect of corticosteroids is well known. In some circumstances prophylactic antibiotic therapy is routinely used to lower the risk of opportunistic infections in immunocompromised patients with exogenous hypercortisolemia. The incidence of opportunistic infection in endogenous hypercortisolemia in Cushing’s syndrome is 11–17%, correlating with degree of hypercotisolemia. Only several case reports have been published about pneumocystis pneumonia ...

Introduction: Cardiac disease called acromegalic cardiomyopathy may be present in patients with acromegaly at diagnosis, however most echocardiographic studies showed that systolic function in these patients is normal. Speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) is a novel method that allows for the study of global longitudinal strain (GLS), a marker of early and subclinical left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction.Objective: To evaluate left ventricular G...

IntroductionSchizophrenia is one of the seven most disabling diseases according to World Health Organization. The most potent antipsychotic drugs clozapine and olanzapine are associated with excessive weight gain. Premature deaths in schizophrenia and shorter life expectancy are mainly caused by obesity-related cardiovascular diseases. Obesity itself is associated with brain deterioration, cognitive decline and overall worse quality of life. GLP-1 recept...

IntroductionPituitary apoplexy (PA) is a rare medical emergency caused by acute haemorrhage and/or infarction within a pituitary or usually pituitary tumour. Typically, PA is characterised by severe headache, visual fields defects, decreased visual acuity, cranial nerve palsies and hypopituitarism. However, many patients present with mild or ambiguous signs and symptoms or even PA is an incidental radiological finding.Aim<p cla...

Introduction: The treatment of choice in acromegaly is a transsphenoidal surgery of a growth hormone (GH) - producing pituitary adenoma. In patients with persistent acromegaly after surgery medical treatment is recommended. First generation somatostatin analogs: lanreotide autogel and octreotide LAR are effective in 25% to 45% of patients depending on population and study protocol. Second-generation somatostatin analog – pasireotide LAR seems to be more effective. The pos...

Introduction: Some studies suggest that thyroid autoimmunity might be associated with increased cardiovascular-risk. However, the exact pathophysiology of this relationship has not yet been fully understood. In this study we aimed to analyze the influence of the levothyroixine (L-T4) replacement therapy and of anti-thyroperoxidase antibodies (TPOAbs) on homocysteine (Hcy) levels in patients with thyroid autoimmune disease.Method...